On June 11, 2006, after five years of service at the Office of Library and Information Services and a total of 38 years of library service in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Chief of Library Services Anne Parent retired from state service. Library Program Manager Beth Perry, a long-time manager at the Office of Library and Information Services, has been appointed Acting Chief of Library Services by Department of Administration Director Beverly Najarian.

Beth has worked in various capacities at the Office of Library and Information Services in the Department of Adminstration (formerly the Department of State Library Services) since 1988. She has been Library Program Manager for Public Services since 1997 and was Chief of the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped from 1988 to 1997. Prior to that, Beth was State Librarian at the Rhode Island State Library for four years. From 1971 to 1984 she held positions at the James P. Adams Library at Rhode Island College, from Senior Reference Librarian through Assistant Director and Associate Professor.

A native of Spokane, Washington, Beth received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Master of Library Science from the University of Washington at Seattle. She has served on committees for various library organizations and task forces, including the American Library Association, the Rhode Island Library Association, the NELINET Preservation Task Group, the New England Documents Conservation Center Advisory Committee, and the Rhode Island Governor's Conference on Libraries and Information Services. She has held the positions of Vice-President and President of the Rhode Island Library Association. Beth has also served on the Governor's Commission on Disabilities ADA Task Force and Equipment Committee, and has been a board member of the Rhode Island Historical Society and TechACCESS of Rhode Island.

As Acting Chief of Library Services, Beth will oversee state and federal funding and programs for libraries of all types throughout Rhode Island. She looks forward to working with the library community to ensure a seamless transition between administrations and the continued development of a multitype library service that will serve and be accessible to all Rhode Island residents.

See related article on retired Chief Anne Parent: Chief of Library Services Honored for Achievements